Thursday, May 12, 2016

THANK YOU FROM COACH DON DAUBNEY

Please see a thank you letter from Coach Daubney:

Last week in a meeting with Croton-Harmon High School
Athletic Director, Tom Cunningham, I was told that Dr. Edward Fuhrman, our
schools' district superintendent, told him the school board would not vote for
me if my name was brought forward to be next years boys JV basketball coach.

Since then many people have come forward in my support
with letters on Facebook, on a petition (over 300 entries at this time),
letters to the paper and with personal kind words including boys from this
year's team and their parents. I am both extremely thankful and humbled that so
many have felt it was appropriate to support me in my desire to continue as the
JV basketball coach in this community. It is something I love doing, and feel
confident in.

The original stated reason for the decision was that in
having two eighth grade boys on my team, I broke a school board policy. The
first time I saw this policy in print was at that meeting last week with the
athletic director. Last fall, Bill Thom,
the varsity basketball coach told me that if I did not cut any sophomores from
the team to make room for the eighth graders, it would be ok to have the the
eighth grade boys on the team. Interestingly enough, an eighth grade girl went
up to play on the girls varsity basketball team. Seventh grade girls are
currently playing varsity lacrosse.

I have not come forward personally on this matter earlier
because I was uncertain of the origin of the complaint. That still might be the
case to some extent, but Dr. Fuhrman has made it clear that the decision comes
from his office. He has a vision for Croton boys basketball that does not
include me.

School superintendents like anyone else can make poor
decisions. I find it interesting that Dr. Fuhrman did not discuss this matter
with other school personnel including the outgoing varsity basketball coach,
the newly appointed varsity basketball coach, the high school principal, or the
athletic director before making this important negative decision. It is ultimately up to the school board to
support or not support his decisions. They have that responsibility. I have no
desire to cause dedicated and competent school employees harm. Their awareness
of the policy was no better than mine.

Again, I thank you all for the wonderful support and for
the past great 17 years being able to serve as this school district's JV
basketball coach. Also, thanks and
congratulations to Bill Thom on his retirement and his many years serving as
our varsity basketball coach.

10 comments:

I've known Don for many years and am stunned by his dismissal. Don has been a dedicated Croton resident who served our community well with service to his church, high school sports, the Lion's club and as past Village Trustee. It's unfair to treat such a highly respected civic citizen like Don in the manner Furhman and the school board acted. Fuhrman and the school board, not Don, are the ones who need to go and I can't wait to see them gone! They are a perfect example of what's wrong with academia today and certainly not the example we want to set for our students! This whole incident smells fishy! He'll always be "Coach" to me. I'm off to sign the petition to retain Don!

The only way that the board and Dr. Fuhrman gets the message about its poor decisions about not retaining Coach Daubnay is when it comes time to vote for the superintendent of schools and he gets voted OUT! He believes he is untouchable. Let your voice and vote be heard change the School Board..

Unfortunately, Dr. Fuhrman just signed a new contract and will be with the district until 2019. And community members don't vote on the superintendent choice, just Board of Education trustees. (the BOE chooses the superintendent.) Two trustees are up for reelection this year, but are running unopposed. A way to make a statement would be not to cast a vote for the trustees on next Tuesday's ballot.

I've said this a hundred times at school board meetings, in letters to the gazette and in general conversations with residents. Edward Fuhrman believes he is above all and is the almighty God. He's got the power and loves to flex muscles. He is given too much power by the school board, who for some reason believes he is a good superintendent and worth the exorbitant salary he is fortunate to get to oversee three school buildings. Time for people to rally. Get rid of the current board, hopefully there will be reasonable and smart people to run in the future and oust the Superintendent. I will go one step further by replacing the higher administration in the high school who feel powerful, and love to flex their muscles as well. Clean house Croton!J. Minett